This nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on Patent Application No(s) .102 39 891.7 filed in Germany on Aug. 29, 2002 and 03 018 943.5 filed in Europe on Aug. 20, 2003, which is(are) herein incorporated by reference.
The invention relates to a retaining system, more particularly for persons subjected to dynamic movements such as acceleration, retarding and/or swinging and rotary movements of conveying means, more particularly vehicles and/or working platforms, comprising a chair member for use by such person, said chair member having a seat and a back rest, and furthermore a retaining device having a locking means able to be moved between at least one getting on position and at least one retaining position. The conveying means may be terrestrial, aquatic and/or aerial means of transportation, with which persons may be conveyed while seated. The persons are then subject to dynamic forces and must be secured to prevent falling off or falling down. The invention furthermore relates to conveyor cages, working baskets and securing means with which persons can be conveyed to and from a work site or with which they may assume different positions.
Rail-bound vehicles are for example employed on fairgrounds, playgrounds and other festivities in many different types of rides for the amusement of patrons. These amusement rides such as roller coasters, big dippers, merry-go-rounds and the like mean that the bodies of the passengers are dashed about hither and thither and so subjected to accelerating and retarding forces and also to changes in the direction of motion and unexpected loads, something which on the one hand exhilarates but on the other hand involves the danger of accidents, for example owing to passengers being thrown off the amusement ride.
For these reasons it is known to provide such amusement rides involving high speeds, substantial accelerations and retardations with suitable restraining systems. These restraining systems must comply with a plurality of partly incompatible requirements. Thus on the one hand they are to provide for enhanced safety while on the other hand they are to be simply and rapidly operated. Moreover, they should give the passengers sufficient freedom of movement while on the other hand prevent unconscious or suicidally minded passengers from being thrown from the amusement ride vehicles. Accordingly even with the known restraining systems improvements of such systems are called for.